Ratmo Supomo says he and his wife saw a pawprint the “size of a clenched fist” when they checked on livestock in Boyong, a village five miles (eight kilometers) from the peak. Most of the nearly 70,000 Merapi evacuees have crowded into government camps.

Tri Prasetyo, who heads a national park near the crater, said many animals naturally would flee volcanic activity. But a Javan Tiger was unlikely, as it’s believed to be extinct.